The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) says corruption has remained a defining challenge for Nigeria, adding that transparency and accountability at both state and local levels has become a mirage.

The anti-graft agency also raised the alarm that the real battleground for good governance lies at the state and local government levels, which it described as the tiers of government closest to the people.

Musa Aliyu, the chairman of the commission, stated this at a one-day Rountable Engagement on Strategic integration in fight against corruption with all the Commissioners of Information across 36 States of the Federation.

Daily Trust reports that the Forum was themed: “Partnership for Strengthening Transparency and Accountability at State and Local Government Levels through Strategic Communication”.

Speaking before the programme was declared open, the ICPC boss explained that what the commission has seen so far clearly showed that there are major problems regarding accountability and transparency at state and local levels, hence the reason for the roundtable.

He said, “While the Federal Government has intensified its efforts, the real battleground lies at the state and local government levels – the tiers closest to the people, and where leakages are most devastating.

“When resources are not utilised properly, it is the farmer without roads, the child without books, and the sick without healthcare who suffer.

“This is the second time ICPC is directly engaging with members of State Executive Councils. Last year and this year, we held sessions with State Attorneys General in Abuja and across five geopolitical zones, which brought together 34 Attorneys General to forge a unified approach against corruption at the state level.”

Aliyu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, called the State government to proactively disclose information regarding their budgets, procurement and projects, saying they should be made open and accessible at all time.

“Transparency builds trust between government and the people; accountability sustains it. Together, they ensure resources are used for the public good. Around the world, transparency has improved service delivery, reduced corruption, and strengthened citizen participation.

“For Nigeria, these gains are most urgently needed at state and local government levels. Information alone may raise awareness, but only strategic communication—deliberate, consistent, and engaging—truly changes behavior,” the senior lawyer argued.

Also speaking, the Minister of Information and National Oreintation, Mohammed Idris said that the fight against corruption is in line with the eight-point priorities of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

He commended ICPC for the theme, adding that the presence of all the state commissioners for information, who have the onerous task of disseminating and cascading information to other strata of the Nigerian society, is remarkable.

“Fighting corruption is indeed one of the eight-point priority areas of President Tinubu’s administration and that is why the president is strengthening the institutional framework to fight corruption, especially through the ICPC and EFCC.

“By its policy of non-interference, the Tinubu administration has made it clear that anti-corruption agencies are not instruments of political witch-hunt; they operate with independence and professionalism in line with the established rule of law.

“However, the president has vowed that there will be no safe haven for corruption in Nigeria and he is also advancing far-reaching judicial reforms aimed at curbing unnecessary delays in corruption trials, ensuring that justice is neither denied nor endlessly deferred.

“I want to implore all of you that irrespective of the political parties you belong to, it is important you identify with the massive opportunities inherent in the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu,” Idris said. (Daily Trust)